The object of this invention is an articulated vehicle, and specially, a three-wheeled one fitted with a stabilization device.
It is well known that two standards of terrestrial vehicles exist: the first type is represented by vehicles with stationary stability, such as three-wheeled or four-wheeled vehicles; the other type is represented by two-wheel vehicles, which become stabilized only when driven above a minimal speed, and which the driver is able to lean in curves, so as to keep the center of gravity in the plane of the apparent vertical, due to combined gravitational and centrifugal forces.
The usual four-wheel vehicles are wider and less workable in city traffic than the two-wheeled ones; as a set off, two-wheeled vehicles can barely be provided with a protection body against collisions or weather inclemency. Indeed, the driver should always be able to set foot on the ground, to the side where the vehicle leans at standstill, and again so as to raise the vehicle back vertically at starting.
For several years, a solution to those problems has been sought, such as an intermediate vehicle fitted with two rear wheels in order to provide stability at standstill, but articulated so as to behave while traveling like a two-wheeled dynamically stabilized vehicle, leaning into curves so as to compensate for the centrifugal force.
Typically, such a vehicle rests on three wheels, and is constituted of two chassis, pivoted upon each other through a longitudinal axis: respectively a backward chassis, resting on two spaced wheels, and a frontward chassis, resting upon the steering front wheel, and supporting a protection body fitted with at least one seat for the driver.
While traveling, the link is disengaged so the driver is enabled to incline the front chassis with the body, in order to keep the longitudinal mid plane of said body in the alignment of the apparent vertical, thus allowing the vehicle to behave similarly to a motorcycle. On the contrary, when the speed is reduced below a certain value, the link is locked and the vehicle becomes stable due to the rear axle.